Valueattics Re has become the first private firm to receive IRDAI’s nod to commence reinsurance business in India. 

• Currently, public sector General Insurance Corporation (GIC Re) is the only reinsurance company operating in India.

About Reinsurance 

• Reinsurance is a risk management practice where insurance companies transfer a portion of their risk to another insurance company (reinsurer) to protect themselves from large financial losses.
• Regulator: Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI).
• Laws: Governed under the Insurance Act, 1938 and IRDAI (Re-Insurance) Regulations, 2018.

Balochistan, Pakistan's largest province, has recently been the epicentre of escalating violence. 

About Balochistan

• Strategic Location: Lies at the mouth of Strait of Hormuz and borders Iran (West), Afghanistan (North), and Arabian Sea (South).
  • Gwadar Port, a deep-sea port, key to China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) also lies in this region.
• Natural Resources: Rich in natural gas, coal, copper, and gold.
• Cultural Heritage: Mehrgarh (One of the world’s oldest known settlements), Makran Coast Petroglyphs etc.

Recently, the US launched surprise airstrikes against Yemen based Houthi rebels.

About Houthi rebels

• Houthis are an armed political and religious group, formerly known as Ansar Allah.
  • Follow Zaidi Islam, a branch of Shia Islam.
• They are part of Iran-led "Axis of Resistance" - an anti-Israel and anti-Western alliance of regional militias including Hamas and Hezbollah.
• A civil war erupted in Yemen in late 2014 when the Houthis seized Yemen’s Capital Sanaa.

Foundation stone laid for campus of North East Centre for Technology Application and Reach (NECTAR) in Shillong (Meghalaya), which will promote Saffron cultivation in the North East.

• NECTAR is an autonomous body under the Department of Science and Technology.

About Saffron

• It is a spice that comes from the stigmas of purple flowers of the plant Crocus sativus.
• It is known as Red Gold as its stigmas are typically of orange-red colour due to content of crocetin. 
• Cultivation: Primarily in Jammu and Kashmir (GI tagged saffron), Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka. 
  • Mission Saffron initiative has expanded saffron cultivation across Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, and Meghalaya.

Drying of Tamulidoba Beel in Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary is a Growing Concern.

About Pobitora wildlife sanctuary

• Location and Landscape: In the flood plains of River Brahmaputra in the district of Morigaon, Assam.
  • It consists of Rajamayong Reserve Forest and Pobitora Reserve Forest.
• Highest Rhino Density: It holds the highest density of Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros in the country.
• Flora and Fauna: Grasslands of Pobitora offer sightings of the Greater One Horned Rhinoceros, Wild Water Buffalo, Monitor Lizard, Wild Boar, etc.
• It was declared as a wildlife sanctuary in 1987.

Ministry Of Education Launches PM Scheme For Mentoring Young Authors (PM-YUVA 3.0).

About PM-YUVA 3.0

• Aim: Aims to train young authors below 30 years of age to promote reading, writing, and book culture.
• Selection and Training Process: 50 authors will be selected through an All India Contest.
• Implementation: National Book Trust, India is an implementing agency ensuring structured mentorship.
• Significance: Strengthens Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat by promoting cultural and literary exchange.

Recently, scientists turned light into a 'supersolid' for the 1st time ever.

• Until now, supersolidity had only been observed in Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs).
• BEC is a state of matter formed when a group of bosons is cooled to near absolute zero, causing them to occupy the same quantum state.

About Supersolid

• It is a rare state of matter that exhibits both solid-like structure and frictionless flow.
• Supersolids are defined by quantum mechanics where particles condense into an orderly, crystalline solid but also move like a liquid that has no viscosity. 
  • Viscosity refers to a substance's internal friction, governing how smoothly it flows.
• Supersolids require extremely low temperatures to form — usually very close to absolute zero.
• Uses:  Quantum computing, superconductors, frictionless lubricants,etc.

India-Bangladesh Naval Exercise Bongo Sagar 2025 and Coordinated Patrol was conducted in the Bay of Bengal. 

• The exercise saw participation of INS Ranvir from the Indian Navy.
• The first edition of Bongosagar was held in 2019.

Other bilateral exercise Between India and Bangladesh:

• Exercise Sampriti: Annual joint military exercise
  • Focuses on counterterrorism, disaster response, and military cooperation.